A 24-year-old female migrant was rescued by U.S. Border Patrol and Arizona Department of Public Safety and Air and Marine Operations personnel on Wednesday west of Sells. The female was travelling with a group of 16 illegal migrants.
Agents tracked the group for over 14 miles in six hours and finally encountered the group in the Sierra Blanco Mountains. The group split into several smaller groups spread out along a steep mountainside in an attempt to evade agents.
Agents on the ground were guided by a CBP helicopter aircrew to several illegal aliens before encountering the female collapsed on the mountainside, according to CBP. While agents continued to search for and arrest members of the group in the area, a Border Patrol emergency medical technician began to render lifesaving aid to the unconscious female, who had collapsed and began sliding down the loose rock on a hillside.
Arizona Department of Public Safety dispatched a helicopter to the scene where the EMT resorted to using a rope and carabineer system to prevent the woman from sliding further down the hillside, stabilizing her position while administering intravenous fluids.
A short time later, the aircrew safely extricated the woman from the mountain and transported her to a local hospital where she is recovering from severe dehydration.
The remaining 15 illegal aliens were found in good condition. They were transported to the Casa Grande Border Patrol Station for processing.